Chiefs free agent Sammy Watkins reportedly has drawn interest from four teams
Wide receiver Sammy Watkins’ future plans may come into focus in the days ahead.
At a news conference earlier this month, Chiefs general manager Brett Veach was asked about Watkins, who is a free agent. Veach hoped to bring Watkins back for a fourth season with the Chiefs, but that may not be feasible for financial reasons.
“I’ve said it many times before, I love Sammy and love what he does for our offense,” Veach said. “There will be challenges this year. It will be a lot more challenging to retain him and bring him back this year just because of where we are. We were able to work with him and his agent last year and make it work.
“This year will probably be even more difficult just because we’ll have some work to do to get under the cap, and once we do, we have to see where the markets go. “
Watkins last week acknowledged that he could be with a new team when the 2021 season begins.
On Tuesday, he was expected to visit with the Baltimore Ravens, who have a need for a wide receiver.
“His time with the Rams and Chiefs reinforced the belief Watkins is likely most effective at this stage as a second option, which makes a fit with the Ravens affordable, but doesn’t quite answer Baltimore’s prolonged need for a No. 1 target,” writes Nick Shook of NFL.com. “Watkins would pair well with speedster Marquise Brown , though, perhaps opening Baltimore’s passing offense, which has lagged behind its dominant rushing attack in the last two seasons.”
The Ravens aren’t alone in possibly wanting to add Watkins. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that three other teams have expressed interest.
Jim Ayello, who covers the Colts for the Indianapolis Star, reported the team could be interested in a pair of Chiefs free agents. But that depends on whether the Colts can bring back receiver T.Y. Hilton.
“If Hilton were to leave, the Colts could try to replace some of his production with what remains on the market. Sammy Watkins never lived up to the hype of being the fourth overall pick in 2014, but at 27, he’s still an explosive athlete who can stretch the field and pick up some yards after the catch,” Ayello writes.
“Another ex-Chief who might interest the Colts is Demarcus Robinson, a fourth-round pick in (Colts GM Chris) Ballard’s final draft with the Chiefs. Robinson, who is only 26 years old, is coming off a career season with 45 catches and 466 yards with only one drop. In five years, Robinson has never missed a game.”
This story was originally published March 23, 2021 at 11:27 AM.
